The Malaysian Golf Association announced that clubs can now organise tournaments with a maximum of 100 players.
Of course, there are strict standard operating procedures but the fact tournaments can now be held has given Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) hope of organising several tournaments in the coming months.
Its general secretary Datuk Kenny Goh said he has yet to receive any notice whether badminton can follow suit but welcomed the decision to allow golf clubs to hold events.
“This is good news. It could mean other non-contact sports may soon get the green light,” said Goh.
“BAM has been in touch with the National Security Council via the National Sports Council to plead our case.
“We need to start organising our junior events as we are behind schedule. These development programmes are crucial to the future of badminton.
“Although we have hundreds of shuttlers at each junior tournament, we will find ways to accommodate the numbers.
“One way is by holding regional events to minimise the numbers.”
He said the senior national players have had ‘internal’ tournaments but this was possible as they are under quarantine.
Goh said the latest development could also mean BAM’s idea of a ‘tournament bubble’ for the Malaysian Masters and Malaysian Open could become a reality.
BAM had suggested holding the events back-to-back in April.
The Malaysian Open is especially important as it would offer qualifying points for the Tokyo Olympics.
“Of course, any tournament we organise – juniors or otherwise – would follow strict SOPs. We are more than happy to follow the government’s recommendations,” said Goh.
Meanwhile, Malaysia Swimming secretary-general Mae Chen said she is happy swimming has been taken off the list of prohibited sports.
“That’s a good sign. We can resume training,” she said.
“We don’t have plans to hold any competition this year. Hopefully, we would get a clearer picture after Dec 20 (when the Conditional Movement Control Order is due to end).
“I was at the National Sports Council today and everyone is feeling positive that the sports industry could be restarted.
“There has been no sports cluster and the number of cases has been in specific areas so perhaps sports can resume as normal soon.”
Separately, the national divers just competed in the ‘Malaysia International Online Diving Championships’.
The two-day tournament was broadcast live on the official Facebook page of the National Sports Council (MSN) with participation from five countries – Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
The divers competed in their respective countries and judges watched and gave scores.
Here’s a round-up of The News Normal today.
MOUNT KINABALU REOPENS
Malaysia’s highest peak, Mount Kinabalu, reopened today and welcomed its first climber, a 36-year-old man who was attempting to scale the mountain for the first time.
The peak of Mount Kinabalu is 4,095 metres above sea level and is in Kinabalu Park, which has been closed since March because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
23 REPS WANT WILLIE MONGIN TO BE REFERRED TO RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES COMMITTEE
Twenty-three MPs have filed a motion in the Dewan Rakyat to refer Puncak Borneo MP Willie Mongin to the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee.
The 23 said they witnessed an alleged obscene gesture made by the deputy plantations industry and commodities minister last week.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun had declined to take action earlier as he said his eye problem prevented him from seeing if Mongin had shown his middle finger in the Dewan Rakyat.
NO ISSUE WITH VACCINE SUPPLY IN 2021, SAYS KHAIRY
Malaysia will have sufficient Covid-19 vaccine next year, said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
Pfizer has slashed its 2020 production target but Khairy said Malaysia is due to receive enough Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech in the first quarter of 2021 for 20 per cent of the population.
PERAK STILL WITHOUT A MENTERI BESAR
Umno’s Datuk Saarani Mohamad is the leading candidate to be the next Perak Menteri Besar following the resignation of Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu on Saturday.
Faizal had lost a vote of confidence on Friday when he only had 10 votes. Forty-eight assemblymen voted against him and one abstained.
Saarani is said to have the backing of at least 26 assemblymen to be the state leader.
THE PEOPLE, NOT JUST POLITICIANS, RESPONSIBLE FOR REALISATION OF MORAL ECONOMY
The moral obligation of the people is not merely to exercise their voting rights but to also undertake check and balance to guide the political representatives to tread the moral and ethical high ground.
This synergy between politicians and the people based on moral and ethical integrity would go a long way in pursuing the concept of a moral economy, writes Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Mohamed Ghouse Nasuruddin.
